Orientation Christmas

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Orientation Christmas Jack McConchie How often have you sat through one seducing us into sleeping on Sugarloaf hundred slides on a Thursday night Pass for the night. wondering where Williamson, Forgotten, Arawata or Red Hills really can be We were soon bombing the track with found? Well in 1977, a group of us little more enthusiasm than a Labour decided to get to grips with the Party conference, only to find after "greater" south and find for ourselves twenty minutes that we had missed the the mythical land of the lost. track. Ooops!! Having asked a little old lady from Otago the directions With this in mind three of us arrived and being embarrassed explaining where at Wellington Airport on the 26th. we were going when we couldn't find Chris, just back from three weeks in a tourist track, we set off once more. Tonga, and wishing he was still there, No hitches this time and by 5.30 camp weighed in at 37 kilos. Jack, wonderone was established on the bush edge. ing what he could have forgotten, decided nothing with a pack at 35 The salt for the first five days had kilos, and Terry from the heavyweight been left behind in Wellington and division of the HVTC topped the scales with only about 10 grams in someone's at 25 kilos. Unpleasant thoughts of pack by mistake, we prepared for rather the missing trip member increasing tasteless food in latter days. our loads were consoled by the image of larger meals as we flew to Queens- The next day dawned fine although town. The taxi was waiting, so it overcast. We went over Sugarloaf was off up to the Dart Valley and the Pass but missed the track on the other Routeburn road end, with a clear sky side. Panic now became evident as we had missed both tracks. After big sidle through slime covered scrub searching around the track was found onto Red Mountain and around into and we dropped into the Rockburn. Peridot Stream where camp was Going was great up the flats, with established. lunch being called at Theatre Flats. Then it was up to Park Pass, views A day trip to the Gorge Plateau had to obscured by gathering cloud, a short be aborted when mist from the coast photo stop, then down into Hidden arrived at 9.00 and didn't lift until Falls Creek for the night. about 5.00 in the evening. The vision of food at Forgotten Flats To get back to our food drop we thought drew us over Cow Saddle and down the we would sidle Red Mountain on the other Olivine River. Travel in the river side to Simonin Pass which we did in mist was much better than the sidle I and rain, again being 300 feet too high remembered. With the scent of food which provided a pleasant scree slide now strong we sidled the Forgotten down to the pass proper. After lunch on the gorge and emerged on Forgotten Flats, pass we went down Simonin Stream and back but there was no food here. Strange, up the Pyke to our old campsite. as it was promised by the 28th - still, perhaps it will come tomorrow. Well The next day brought more rain and tomorrow was misty with rain and no another pit day was called. Food was plane arrived so the troops decided now running short with only three days to go on half rations and push it left, so the push over Trinity Col the through to Williamson Flats on two following day was essential. In the days food, rather than go back. mist we climbed above Trinity Stream and into some bluffs but during a clear- The next day was really wet but we left ance found a good route down into the early and ascended the bluffs heading upper valley. No further problems were for Four Brothers Pass. The troops encountered and the col was soon reached must have been "high" on something - where we met John Persson's trip. The certainly not food, as they again views and prospects looked good as we climbed too high arriving on a knob dropped down into the Williamson, but 300 feet above the tarn. By dropping just above a good campsite (having recced down and sidling, the pass was soon the route), Jack's pack over-balanced reached - our fourth in three days. and dropped over a bluff. With gear wet From the pass we cut out to the left with white spirits and water, and everyand dropped downr a good scree into the thing which could break, broken, the Diorite where lunch was consumed in troops established a "gloomy" camp. the pouring rain. Thence on up to Still you can't keep good men down and Beresford Pass and down a good route the troops had to laugh, after all it's into the Barrier. The map showed a not every day you break $1300 worth of hut, and this - plus being soaked to camera gear. The biggest loss was the the skin - induced us to take on the thirty photos taken during the previous river which was in flood, The hut five days. Philosophically Jack was turned out to be derelict so we camped heard to mumble "Well at least now my after rifling the food left from gear's unbreakable". previous years. The team crossed the rock bridge early The following day blossomed fine and next morning and continued down to some we had a lie in, then just as we were good flats where breakfast was consumed moving off we heard a plane. Oh well, and gear dried. "Oh for a dacron pit". there goes our food to the Forgotten A ridiculous sidle to shortcut the we thought, but no, the plane turned confluence of the Williamson - Arawata and dropped our food at our feet. brought us through some bluffs then Although the food came to the wrong down to the Arawata where we boulder place on the wrong day, it saved us hopped to Williamson Flats where more carrying it over two passes. With food awaited. seven days food we went over Stag Pass into the Pyke and camped five minutes We were the only ones at the flats below Crescent Stream on a fantastic which are about a mile wide and three campsite. miles long. We left at noon and headed for the Arawata Rock bivy along a route Red Mountain lured us on. Taking four which mighty Moir describes as being six days food and only the gear we needed, hours on good deer trails. Well, as you we sidled down the Pyke to the mining know the choppers have raped the south camp, seeing four deer on the way. and deer are now few and far between. The camp itself was in immaculate condition, totally unlocked with no We sidled high then low but couldn't rubbish. I personally think that this find the track so we took it straight club has fostered a biased attitude to the middle flats where we had lunch. with respect to mining companies. The track was then found but it was Could it have anything to do with impossible to follow at first, and at where we hold our meetings? After the scrub belt it ceased to exist. lunch it was on down the Pyke then a We bashed away and eventually came to some good flats. The Rock was now in over Arawata Saddle to the Matukituki. sight and the troops pushed on through So with democracy the key, we climbed the scrub only to find that they could to the saddle in good snow conditions not cross - the Arawata being in flood. with the weather fining again just as So it was back down the way we had come we arrived. Frustrated to the last, then more scrub bashing to the Rock. we dropped down to Liverpool Biv. A fire was kindled and soup was A party of day trippers was conned followed by stew and pud at 11 p.m. into arranging a ride for noon the which warmed both body and soul. Rain next day at the road end, which arrived followed rain and we spent the day calon time and took us into Wanaka. culating the weight of the rock that we were sleeping under. The final figure Well, we got back to club having sorted - 156000 tonnes, give or take a bit. out all those places and what do we find, slides from everywhere obscure, Up at 5.00 and with the weather except where we had been. Oh well, bringing more promise than the Labour that's something to do next year. manifesto we planned the assault on The party was Terry Craig, Chris Waipara Saddle. Just as we left a big Garton and Jack McConchie. front - no, not Mae West, approached and two of the troops wanted to retreat 26 December 1977 - 10 January 1978